Chapter 31
“We both got used to sleeping in separate rooms p>
Mrs. Archer: “Young Madam, Old Madam said, when we’re out, try not to trouble others p>
“Besides, there really aren’t any extra rooms available p>
Vivian looked disappointed.
Austin saw her expression, and the frustration he had just managed to suppress was reignited slightly.
What does she mean?
He hasn’t even tried to avoid her, yet she’s already expressing disdain?
Austin: “Mrs. Archer, we understand p>
After Mrs. Archer left, Vivian closed the door.
Austin leaned against the window with his arms crossed, looking at her with a frustrated expression.
“Sharing a bed with me, is it really that hard for you to accept p>
“In the past, every time we went back to the old house, we didn’t sleep apart p>
Vivian: “That was before p>
Austin’s expression turned sour: “Vivian, didn’t you understand what I just said p>
“I said, there’s no need to play such tricks to get my attention p>
“This will only make me more disgusted p>
Vivian took a deep breath.
“Can you stop talking p>
“Since you’re disgusted, you sleep on the floor tonight p>
After saying that, Vivian got on the bed and pulled the quilt over her face.
Make him sleep on the floor?
Never in his life had Austin endured such grievances.
He naturally refused.
He took off his outerwear and lay down on the other side of the bed.
Vivian, utterly frustrated, sat up and glared at Austin: “If you won’t sleep on the floor, I will p>
She got up to get out of bed, and Austin immediately rolled off.
He angrily glared at Vivian, and Vivian glared back.
Both had lost the understanding and gentleness they once possessed.
It was at that moment that Vivian realized how absurd this marriage was.
She felt utterly exhausted.
She opened her mouth and said: “Austin, I’m not as cheap as you think p>
“Now that Zoe’s back, I won’t foolishly cling to the title of Young Madam Grant p>
“Do you really need me to spell it out for you p>
“Grandma’s health is declining day by day, I don’t want her to be upset, so I keep enduring p>
“Alright, let’s sleep p>
After saying that, Vivian lay down again.
Austin stood there, shocked, and it took a long time for him to digest what she had said.
She wasn’t acting out of jealousy.
It was… disappointment, sadness?
Is that why she’s behaving this way toward him now?
Could it be that she wants to leave him?
Austin felt a pang of inexplicable panic.
He absolutely could not allow her to have such thoughts!
Even if anyone had them, only he would have the right to suggest it!
Who was she, Vivian Sinclair?
In an instant, Austin regained all his calm and composure.
He walked over and sat beside Vivian’s bed.
With his hands on either side of her pillow, he lowered his head.
“Vivian, I admit I haven’t been doing well lately p>
“I neglected you for Zoe p>
“But didn’t I say? My wife will only be you p>
“I feel guilty about Zoe, also because you hurt Zoe before, so I wanted to make it up to her p>
“I understand you’re emotionally sensitive due to pregnancy, but stop overthinking, okay p>
“Tell me, whatever you want, I can make it up to you p>
“You didn’t like those clothes or those jewels from before p>
“I heard Vivi’s new jewelry designs are about to be released, so why don’t I gift you one, huh p>
Not a word of what he said did Vivian believe.
But she just wanted to see what tricks he would play next.
How long would he keep up this charade with her?
Their standoff continued in silence until Zoe’s call suddenly interrupted everything.
Austin got up and answered the call by the window.
“Hello p>
His voice was instinctively gentle.
There was a subtle but noticeable difference compared to the deliberate tone he used with her.
Vivian laughed at herself.
She was once so miserably deceived by his tactics.
“Okay, I’ll be right back p>
Zoe Monroe said something, and Austin Grant decided to return.
Vivian Sinclair was more than happy to comply.
Austin Grant glanced at her and coaxed, “Be good, don’t sulk with me anymore p>
“After Zoe’s birthday, her injury should be about healed. By then… I’ll send her away as you wish, won’t you be satisfied then p>
He thought for a moment, then picked up his phone and did something unknown.
Not long after, a notification popped up on Vivian Sinclair’s phone, indicating a transfer to her bank account.
Five million p>
Austin Grant: “If you see something you like, just buy it p>
With that, he picked up his coat and left the sanatorium.
Vivian Sinclair stared at those numbers, her mood indeed improved somewhat.
Although it was only a tenth of what Austin Grant would lavish on Zoe Monroe p>
But who would complain about five million being too little?
However, Vivian Sinclair knew this was just Austin Grant’s way of pacifying her temporarily.
He wanted to placate her until the day she successfully gave birth p>
The true face of a scumbag she had long since seen.
She would never trust him again in this lifetime.
Austin Grant leaving halfway made Old Madam Grant very angry.
So, the next day when he returned to the old house, she punished him by making him sleep on the sofa for one night p>
The austere Austin Grant naturally found this unbearable.
This made Zoe Monroe look at him with a face full of distress, and she no longer dared to act recklessly.
After two days of calm, Vivian Sinclair received a call from her teahouse manager, Patrick Powell.
“Boss, I found the family of Zoe Monroe p>
Vivian Sinclair put down the dumpling skin she was holding, nodded to Old Madam Grant, and walked away with her phone.
“Speak p>
Her voice was calm and steady, as if she were listening to an insignificant matter.
Patrick Powell, however, sounded a bit excited, “Guess where her family is p>
Vivian Sinclair: “Before I married Austin Grant, someone secretly sent me her information p>
“I remember, her family seemed to be from the countryside. She was excellent in her studies as a child, but her family was very poor, so someone sponsored her, allowing her to attend Ardis University p>
“It was also at Ardis University that she met President Grant, and they fell in love p>
“As for where her family is exactly, I’m not clear p>
“However, I heard from Austin that Zoe Monroe’s family treated her very badly, so they almost severed ties p>
Patrick Powell stopped skirting the issue and shared the facts he had found, “That’s not the case p>
“Zoe Monroe is the only university student to come out of their village p>
“Her mother disappeared when she was young, but I estimate she was trafficked to the village and never returned after escaping p>
“She also has an older brother, a father, and a grandfather p>
“A few years ago, her brother seemed to have committed a crime and went to jail, but he’ll be released this year p>
“Her grandfather lives alone in the village, her father works in Ardis p>
“And her father seems to be looking for her p>
“Unfortunately, the photos of Zoe Monroe dining with President Grant went viral in the news, but because The Grants quickly removed them, her father probably didn’t see it p>
After hanging up the phone, Vivian Sinclair hesitated as she looked at the additional information sent by Patrick Powell.
Zoe Monroe’s family background was truly grim.
Vivian Sinclair originally intended to use these as a birthday gift for her.
But now… she wasn’t too keen on the idea.
Because doing so made Vivian Sinclair feel despicable.
Her own background wasn’t much better.
To attack Zoe Monroe, another woman, with the same pain, Vivian Sinclair found herself unable to do it.
She despised her own kindness.
But at the same time, if Zoe Monroe had struggled to escape from that family, doing so would undoubtedly push her back into a hellish pit.
However, soon Vivian Sinclair reaffirmed her plan.
And understood one truth: in someone pathetic, there is surely something detestable!
In the morning, she and Austin were in the small villa helping Old Madam Grant make dumplings.
Before long, both of them inadvertently wiped flour on their faces.
Every so often, Austin Grant would glance up at her, and when no one was looking, he quickly smeared more flour onto Vivian Sinclair’s forehead with his hand.
Vivian Sinclair was speechless; it was the first time she saw such childish behavior from Austin Grant, so all she could do was roll her eyes at him.
Nevertheless, the more she ignored him, the more Austin Grant would try to provoke her.
These days, Austin Grant was doing his best to accompany Old Madam Grant while also trying to improve his relationship with Vivian Sinclair.
Because if he didn’t behave well, there was no telling when Theodore Grant would agree to let him return to The Grant Group.
Old Madam Grant took this opportunity to often pull the two of them together.
Either asking them to cook together, work on pottery, organize the study, or play chess with her.
In total, these few days spent with Austin Grant surpassed the time they had spent together in half a year.
Vivian Sinclair was really fed up, so after making the dumplings, she quickly excused herself as too tired to stand and slipped away.
Little did she know that just passing Rosengarde, she would see Gia Grant sneaking into a corner.
Vivian Sinclair, thinking she was up to no good, immediately followed.
Only to witness a scene that made her incredibly angry!